How to Craft a Perfect Pitch Deck Structure – Impress Investors Now

How do you structure a pitch deck? What pitch deck structure works with investors? What common pitch deck structuring mistakes should you avoid? What does an example investor pitch deck template look like?

Meet the Author: Benjamin Ball

Ben is the founder of Benjamin Ball Associates and leads the presentation coaching and pitch deck creation teams. Formerly a corporate financier in the City of London, for 20+ years he’s helped businesses win with better pitches and presentations, particularly investor pitches. He is a regular speaker and a guest lecturer at Columbia Business School and UCL London.  Follow Ben on LinkedIn or visit the contact page. 

TL;DR – Pitch Deck Structure

How to structure a pitch deck? A perfect pitch deck should:

1. Tell a compelling story
2. Answer investors’ critical questions
3. Showcase your vision with clarity

The ideal structure of a pitch deck includes these key components:

1. Introduction
2. Problem statement
3. Solution
4. Market opportunity
5. Business model
6. Traction
7. Team
8. Clear call to action.

Simplicity and design matter—make sure you have crisp visuals and minimal text so that you make it easy for investors to read and understand.

All of this may sound easy.  But getting it right is hard.

First: What is a Pitch Deck?

Think of your pitch deck as a roadmap to spark interest and encourage further discussions. It is not a comprehensive description of a business.  It’s more a CV than an in-depth biography.

Created in PowerPoint, or similar, a pitch deck condenses your business into an easy-to-digest format, highlighting why your venture is worth investing in. You’ll send it to an investor after they have seen your investment teaser.

Whether you are at the scale-up stage, you are re-financing or you are a relatively early stage business, this basic structure for you pitch deck will work. Obviously, the more mature your business, the more you can talk about.

The hardest part about creating a winning pitch deck is making your story simple, your pitch deck structure powerful, and you pitch compelling for potential investors.

How a Well-Designed Pitch Deck Influences Investor Decisions

First impressions matter, especially when pitching to investors. A well-written pitch deck signals professionalism, clarity, and a real understanding of your business. You are more likely to excite investors when you have a deck that communicates ideas clearly, combines data with storytelling, and showcases a story that speaks the investor’s language.

Conversely, a cluttered or poorly structured deck will undermine credibility and deter interest, even if your underlying business is strong.

Why Pick Benjamin Ball Associates for Your Investor Pitch Deck

At Benjamin Ball Associates, we’ve been developing pitch decks and coaching business people to improve their investor pitches for over 15 years.  Our work is fast and effective. Call us today to learn more.

“I honestly thought it was the most valuable 3 hours I’ve spent with anyone in a long time.”

Mick May, CEO, Blue Sky

Our most popular training courses include:

• Investor Pitch Support and Coaching
• Presentation Coaching
• Public Speaking Coaching

Trusted by some of the most successful companies globally

Speak to Louise on +44 20 7018 0922 or email info@benjaminball.com to transform your pitch decks and presentations.

Get a free consultation about your pitch deck now

Key Components in an Investor Presentation Structure – Pitch Deck Template

While every pitch deck is different, here are some of the pages that you should include in a pitch deck structure for investors. This is a typical pitch deck template.

1. Title Slide

Introduce your company with a strong name, logo, and tag-line. Mare sure that you grab their attention immediately and you make them want to turn the page. If you haven’t generating a reaction on the title page, you have already missed a huge opportunity.

2. Problem Slide

Define the pain point you’re solving, backed by data or real-world examples. This page is key. It shows that you know your market and you have a good understanding of the problems that your customers face. Show their pain points. If you can describe how big the problem is and what it costs your potential customers.

3. Solution Slide

Present your product or service as the answer to the problem. Demonstrate how your solution solves the problem outlined in the previous slide. The more you match your solution to the problems you have identified the better your solution slide will be.

4. Market Opportunity

Highlight the size and potential of your target market. This can be a tough one. For instance, if you are a startup it is not realistic to say you are addressing a $10bn global market. But perhaps you can identify one part of the market you are targetting first and can size that.

5. Business Model

Show how you generate revenue and ensure profitability. How do you make money? Who pays you? How often? Do they come back for more? And what does it cost to win a customer? The more you can demonstrate you really understand the economics of your business the more convincing your business model page becomes.

6. Traction

Share metrics, milestones, or customer testimonials to prove demand. Investors love to see data, charts, statistics that show your business is moving in the right direction.

7. Team Slide

Highlight the expertise and experience of your core team members. What you are showing here is that you have the right people in place and you are good at attracting the right people. It also helps the investor see the size and depth of the team and where you have real expertise.

8. Competition Slide

Highlight how you stand out from your competitors, both direct and indirect. You can show your competition slide in many ways. I quite like the 2×2 matrix approach, where you show your business in the competitive landscape vs those you compete against. Alternatively, you can show a grid highlighting featured and benefits of your business vs the others. And don’t forget to show alternative approaches, not just direct competitors.

9. Financials Slide

Provide a high-level overview of your projections and funding needs. At this stage investors do not want to see your business plan. It is enough to give a good idea of how much money you seek and how you plan to deploy it. That way the investor can prepare the right questions when you meet face to face.

10. Call to Action Slide

End with a clear ask and next steps for interested investors.

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How to Craft a Perfect Pitch Deck

To create a flawless pitch deck structure, think of your pitch deck as a story.

Start by identifying the problem your audience can relate to. Then, reveal your solution and its potential impact. Transition smoothly into the market opportunity and your business model to validate your idea.

Keep your slides visually clean and avoid overwhelming investors with too much information. Make sure there’s a logical flow in your pitch deck structure, leading to a compelling close that leaves investors eager to know more.

How to Create a Winning Pitch Deck for Startups

For startups, your pitch deck is a critical tool to secure funding. Talk about what sets your business apart: innovation, market potential, or unique traction. Use compelling visuals, charts, and real-world examples to substantiate your claims. You can see the Sequoia pitch deck template here.

Then practice your investor meetings, so that you come across as impressively as your deck.  Remember, investors are investing in you, not your PowerPoint.  Be ready to tailor your pitch for different investor interests, whether they’re most interested about market size, scalability, or team expertise.

How to Create a Winning Pitch Deck for an Established Businesses

For businesses with a solid track record and multiple opportunities, your pitch deck structure might be more sophisticated. But the basic approach and storyline we have outlined above still holds.

You will have more data, more examples, some case studies and more investment opportunities to explore. At the same time, do not be tempted to say too much. Remember, this is just a teaser. All you need to achieve is to grab interest and secure a next meeting.

How to Approach Investor Pitching

Approaching investors requires preparation.

1. Start by researching potential investors to understand their preferences and portfolio.
2. Tailor your pitch to address their priorities, whether it’s ROI, market disruption, or sustainability.
3. During the pitch, work on building the relationship.  Listen as much as you speak.
4. Use your pitch deck as a guide, not a crutch. Have a conversation with your potential investors and work towards a feeling of mutual respect.   

Common Mistakes to Avoid in Investor Pitching

In the 15+ years that we’ve been writing and editing pitch decks, we’ve identified some of the regular mistakes make people make in structuring their decks.

1. Overloading Slides: Avoid cramming slides with text or data; keep it concise, clean and simple.
2. Relying on the PowerPoint: You are more important than your deck.
3. Unrealistic Financials: Overly optimistic projections will damage credibility.
4. Ignoring Design: Poor design will distract; invest in quality visuals.
5. Skipping Practice: Rehearsing ensures you deliver a polished and confident pitch.
6. Neglecting the Ask: Always end with a clear funding request and how the investment will be used.
7. Random Pitch Deck Structure: A series of facts is not enough. You need to tell a compelling story.

Remember, the point of your pitch deck structure is to make it easy for your investor to get excited about investing in your business. That’s all. Don’t try and do too much.

Additional Tips for a Great Investor Pitch Deck

When you have a compelling pitch deck structure it’s easier to guide prospective investors through your vision. Where you have it, include market research to validate the size of the market and target audience.

You want to show that you have a clear path to growth with a marketing plan, financial projections, and use of funds. You can include social proof, such as case studies or testimonials, to demonstrate market validation and build trust.

Keep the number of slides manageable, ideally 10-15, to respect investors’ time. The first slide should grab attention with a clear vision, while the cover slide and contact information should make it easy for investors to follow up. The best pitch decks tell a good story that resonates with specific audiences, whether angel investors, venture capitalists or private equity.

Ensuring Success with Your Own Pitch Deck

Remember, your pitch presentation isn’t just about slides; it’s about how you tell your story and get on with your investor.

Practise your delivery and how you run the investor meeting to make sure your story is engaging and your message lands effectively. A winning pitch combines design, content, and delivery for maximum impact.

By avoiding common pitfalls and presenting a clear vision, you can move closer to securing that crucial second meeting or investment opportunity.

How Benjamin Ball Associates Will Create A Compelling Pitch Deck for You

We work with clients every day to create winning pitch decks and winning teams. 

Speak to Louise Angus, our client services director, today to learn more about how we can help you and whether we are the right partner for you.

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Why Choose Us:
Transform your pitches and presentations with tailored coaching

We can help you present brilliantly. Thousands of people have benefitted from our tailored in-house coaching and advice – and we can help you too.

“I honestly thought it was the most valuable 3 hours I’ve spent with anyone in a long time.”

Mick May, CEO, Blue Sky

For 15+ years we’ve been the trusted choice for leading businesses and executives throughout the UK, Europe and the Middle East. We’ll help you improve corporate presentations through presentation coaching, public speaking training and expert advice on pitching to investors.

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Speak to Louise on +44 20 7018 0922 or email info@benjaminball.com to transform your speeches, pitches and presentations.

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